


The bitter taste of chocolate

by strikedawn



Category: Tales of Zestiria
Genre: Fluff, Guilty brownies AU, M/M, watch as Mikleo slowly descends into baking hell
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-12
Updated: 2018-03-12
Packaged: 2019-03-30 13:26:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,661
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13952532
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/strikedawn/pseuds/strikedawn
Summary: In which Mikleo makes mistakes and bakes brownies to solve them.Tons. Of. Brownies.---But Mikleo was stubborn, so he would go on with his idea, still clutching the fabric of Sorey’s jacket in his palm. “I want to help you win your person’s heart.”Sorey blinked, slowly, only for his mouth to go slack. This couldn’t be happening. This was surreal. Mikleo surely couldn’t be asking him what Sorey thought he was asking… “You want to be my matchmaker?”“I… Yes, I guess you could say that.”





	The bitter taste of chocolate

**Author's Note:**

  * For [defragmentise (croixsouillees)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/croixsouillees/gifts).



> This is a request from defragmentise (nami) to write her Guilty Brownies AU! I actually wrote this last year but never got around to posting it. I hope you have fun reading this piece of fluff and bitter chocolate!

It all started at the beginning of their third year.

Although depending on who you asked, it all started way before that, with a pair of children holding their sticky hands together while one looked at the other with a smile brighter than the sun. There was no mistaking the way the taller child looked at the smiling one, no mistaking the soft blush on his cheeks or the way he turned on his heels and stomped away, his stubbornness a trait that would follow him way into his teenage years. No one could look at Mikleo as he stomped away, with a suddenly pouting Sorey trailing after him, and not see clearly that they were destined to each other.

No one could have guessed how long that would take to happen, though.

But regardless of others, for Mikleo it all started the April of the year he would turn eighteen, a few days after the ceremony entrance. The cherry blossoms were in bloom, the weather was warm but not oppressing…

And someone was confessing to his best friend Sorey behind the main building.

He hadn’t meant to observe. He wasn’t even supposed to be there. Mikleo had only been outside because a classmate had gotten sick and he had been asked to take them to the infirmary. He knew —viscerally, the same way he knew he had flute practice on Wednesdays and Fridays, and that his mother hated broccoli with a passion — that Sorey had a free period in that moment, and that it wasn’t so strange to find him sitting with his back against the building, book on his lap and headphones around his neck.

The girl standing in front of him was a surprising addition, however. She was pretty, and—considering Mikleo couldn’t hear her voice from where he was peeking past the corner— soft-spoken. She was clutching a heart-shaped box against her chest, and her cheeks were colored with a red deeper than cherries.

It didn’t take much to figure out what was going on, but Mikleo’s heart still took a few long seconds to skip a painful beat.

Sorey was popular among the single population of their school, always had been. With his easy smile and loving personality, Sorey attracted more people into his life than honey could attract flies. No one could say a bad thing about him, no one would _dare_ to do so; how, when a single smile from Sorey could light up someone’s world?

Mikleo knew that very well. He had been in love with him for longer than he could remember.

So he always felt his heart skip a beat when this scene repeated itself over and over. He had never been present in one before, but Sorey always told him about it, with a faint blush and elusive eyes (‘Someone I’ve never spoken to told me today that they were in love with me. Isn’t that crazy?’). It stung, of course it did, but Mikleo could see a silver lining in all of it, and he clung to it to dear life.

‘ _I’m always the first person he tells when it happens. Because that’s how we are._

_Because I’m his best friend, and he trusts me.’_

And, until now, that was all Mikleo needed.

But Mikleo closed his eyes and hid behind the corner just as Sorey let his answer carry in the wind, and all of his conviction crumbled to the ground like the debris after an explosion.

“Ah, I’m sorry…” Sorey’s voice was soft too, but the grave timbre of his voice reached Mikleo easily. “But there’s someone else I like…”

Sorey said something else, but Mikleo couldn’t hear it over the ringing in his ears. Sorey had someone he liked. And by how fast he had replied, how easily the words had rolled out of his tongue, it wasn’t something recent. No, it couldn't be, not with the tender tone Mikleo had heard in his voice.

He let himself slide down with his back pressed against the wall, fingers shaking as he pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose.

‘ _Sorey has someone he likes… And he didn’t tell me about it? Why?’_

Sorey's heart belonging to someone else hurt. But, beyond that, it was the fact that Sorey hadn't told him, that he had _hidden his feelings from Mikleo_ , what hurt him the most. Since when did they hide things from each other? Since when couldn't they confide in the other? The answer was never. They had always told each other their deepest, most shameful secrets. They were extensions of each other; there was no need to keep stuff from the other.

The only secret Mikleo had ever kept from Sorey were his own feelings for his friend, and only because he hadn’t mustered the courage to change their relationship just yet.

Mikleo hid his face in his knees.

Knowing that he had failed at being Sorey’s friend, making Sorey not feel comfortable enough to tell him the truth was the worst of it all.

“It’s okay!” Sorey was saying beyond the corner, a reply to something the girl had said and Mikleo hadn’t heard over his own musings. “I haven’t… made it known, exactly. But thank you for your sweet words!”

“I— N-no, please!” The girl continued, nervousness making her voice high pitched enough for Mikleo to hear. “I… thank you for taking me seriously, Sorey-san.”

“Of course!”

“…Your person is very lucky. I wish you all the luck in telling them how you feel.”

_‘Luck?’_ Mikleo thought. Sorey didn’t need luck; he needed a miracle. He might not had a problem with telling things to Mikleo before, but he had a habit to keep everything to himself when others were involved, an attempt to keep weight off other people’s shoulders. It came from a good place, Mikleo knew, but he also knew Sorey would never confess to this person unless the other did it first. He would never push his feelings onto another person like that…

A figurative bulb lit up on top of Mikleo’s head as an idea started to form. Maybe… Maybe Sorey didn’t need a miracle.

Maybe he just needed some help.

‘ _If I help him get together with his person…’_ Mikleo pondered, gaze lost in the tips of his pristine shoes. _‘If I help him to show them his feelings, he’ll confide in me. He’ll see I can be useful.’_

Mikleo rose from the grass and walked away from the still chatting teenagers, wiggling his fingers as he started to write down a list in his mind.

 

* * *

 

 

Sorey rushed down the stairs towards the main entrance of the school, holding a notebook between his teeth as he struggled to put his backpack on his back. He had tried to be on time, he really had, but first he had been stopped halfway by a classmate who wanted to ask him if he was free on Sunday (he wasn’t, Mikleo and he were going to the museum to spend the day there), and then he had realized he had forgotten the notebook he was currently chewing on in his class, making him rush back to get it. So now he was late and—judging by the tapping foot of the person waiting for him by the entrance doors—about to be reprimanded.

“You’re late,” Mikleo said as Sorey slid to a stop before him, panting softly with his hands on his knees.

“Sorry, Mikleo! I just… A classmate stopped me, and…”

“Of course,” Mikleo shrugged, and that made Sorey frown. The frown became deeper when Mikleo simply grabbed his bag that rested between his feet and turned in the direction their usual path. “Let’s go.”

Sorey followed after him, moving his hand up to hold on to Mikleo’s sleeve with his fingers as they walked. “…Are you okay?”

It was strange for Mikleo not to make a fuss after Sorey had arrived late. It was part of the routine almost, Sorey getting told off by Mikleo for making him wait and Sorey having to beg for his forgiveness as they walked away towards home. But today… Not only Mikleo’s silence made slightly anxious alarm bells chime inside Sorey’s mind, but the gentle pull downwards of Mikleo’s mouth too.

Mikleo’s mouth was too pretty for that.

But Sorey’s question seemed to make Mikleo’s eyes go soft, which made some of Sorey’s worry evaporate into the warm spring evening.

“Yes, sorry,” Mikleo replied, nudging Sorey with his elbow softly. “Just… I have a lot on my mind today.”

“Anything you might want to talk about?” Tightening his fingers on Mikleo’s sleeve, Sorey leaned slightly closer, enough to smell Mikleo’s shampoo coming from his hair. Heat crawled up his cheeks, but he was still too worried for it to become a blush. Their steps were loud on the silent street, the voices of their schoolmates already faint in the distance. “Because it’s nice of you not to shout at me for being late for once, but I’m kind of wo—“

“I know your secret.”

Sorey’s mouth went as dry as parchment, making him choke around a word, his tongue suddenly too heavy in his mouth. He tried to formulate a question through the desert in his mouth, but his body was too busy opening his eyes like plates and making his heart beat like the wings of a hummingbird for it to have to deal with something as complex as speaking.

It was impossible. Mikleo couldn’t know… There was just no way. It was the only thing he had never told him, the only secret he had kept in the part of his heart his best friend had never seen… And Rose had pinkie promised him she would never tell a soul.

Mikleo simply couldn’t know Sorey was in love with him.

But… The way Mikleo was looking at him, with eyes shiny and a bit hurt behind his glasses, and his usually neat hair sticking to his red cheeks…

Sorey looked away and bit his lower lip, feeling his face burn. “Mikleo, I…”

“I’m not mad or anything,” Mikleo quickly continued. They had stopped their walking at some point, both of them standing on the sidewalk with the smallest gap between their chests. Mikleo’s words made Sorey sigh with relief, but his shoulders were still tense, his mouth still dry. “I’m just… sad.”

“—Sad?” Sorey’s heart skipped another painful beat. He didn’t want Mikleo to be sad. He wanted him to smile, to laugh so hard his sides hurt and tears clung to his thick eyelashes. He hated to think his feelings could be hurting Mikleo in any way. “I—“

“Look, I don’t know what I did to make you not trust me,” Mikleo took a big gulp of air, squaring his jaw as he pushed the words out of his mouth, and a part of Sorey marveled at the way Mikleo’s serious eyes shone in the light of the sunset. “But I promise I’ll make it up to you.”

Mikleo’s words finally registered through Sorey’s brain… and they did not make any sense.

“Make it up to—. Not trust you—, Mikleo what are you talking about!?”

This time, it was Mikleo’s hand that grabbed Sorey’s sleeve, gripping the fabric so tight his knuckles went white. “I know your secret, Sorey.” Mikleo repeated, not making things any clearer for Sorey. “I… overheard you telling that girl there’s someone you like.”

“Oh… _Oh!”_ Sorey felt his heart beating now right at the base of his throat, choking him. He understood quickly what was going on; he knew Mikleo too well not to. ‘ _He thinks I like someone else, oh God, oh God—’_ He scrambled to grab at Mikleo, grab at anything really, but his hands were too numb to do anything despite having Mikleo’s own hand mere inches away from his. “Mikleo, that’s not—!”

“I want to help you.” Mikleo interrupted him, all shiny eyes and red cheeks. There was something else behind the glimmer of his glasses, but it was gone and substituted by sheer determination before Sorey could discern what it was. “I know you didn’t trust me before… But, Sorey, trust me on this. I can help you.”

“Help me with what!?” Sorey finally managed to ask, feeling apprehension curl tightly in his chest. How could Mikleo think he liked someone else when… When Sorey couldn’t stop thinking about him, when he wanted to spend all the hours of his day with him, when he… When Sorey kept refusing every declaration because he preferred to be Mikleo’s best friend rather than someone else’s boyfriend.

But Mikleo was stubborn, so he would go on with his idea, still clutching the fabric of Sorey’s jacket in his palm. “I want to help you win your person’s heart.”

Sorey blinked, slowly, only for his mouth to go slack. This couldn’t be happening. This was surreal. Mikleo surely couldn’t be asking him what Sorey thought he was asking… “You want to be my matchmaker?”

“I… Yes, I guess you could say that.”

The numb feeling had spread from Sorey’s hands to his whole body now. He couldn’t even feel the soft brush of Mikleo’s knuckles against the inner part of his wrist. The idea that Mikleo had taken this whole thing in the worst way possible was killing him inside. He wanted to tell him the truth, to tell him it was _Mikleo_ the one Sorey was in love with— But he didn’t dare to. Not now at least; not when Mikleo was willing to help him date _someone else_.

Sorey didn’t know much about love, but he knew that would be a complete disaster.

That didn’t mean he would give up, though. No, he was more determined than ever to make things clearer for Mikleo, even if it would take a while. For now, he would concentrate on other important things. Like how Mikleo seemed to believe Sorey didn’t trust him enough.

Letting his hand slip upwards, Sorey grabbed Mikleo’s hand in his and gave it a gentle squeeze, eyes fixed on Mikleo’s until Mikleo returned the gesture.

“I trust you,” Sorey said. He wanted to lean down, press his forehead to Mikleo’s, but instead he put the notebook he was still holding between his knees and raised his arm up for a fist bump. “More than anyone.”

And maybe there were a thousand things wrong between them now, lots of misunderstandings and half truths that would surely make a dent in their friendship… But Sorey knew it was the right thing to say when Mikleo's eyes shone with the light of the setting sun, and bumped his fist against Sorey’s in a movement as familiar as any of Sorey’s own.

‘ _Okay, Mikleo,’_ Sorey thought, letting the warmth of Mikleo’s body calm down his nerves. _‘Help me win your heart.’_

 

* * *

 

“…Endo Masae.”

“No.”

“…Usui Toru.”

“Nope.”

“…Kimoto Teika!”

“N… Wait. Who even _is_ that?”

Mikleo sighed, letting his forehead rest on the cool marble of his table. His glasses pressed uncomfortably against the top of his cheeks but he payed them no mind. “No one.” Mikleo admitted with a groan, throwing a glance at the screen of his laptop. “I invented that name to see if you were listening to me.”

From the couch, Sorey snorted as he lowered the book he had been reading over his head. “You’ve been at this for some time now, Mikleo. I think you should stop.”

“I wouldn’t have to do this if you just told me who is it you have a crush on!” Mikleo raised his head to narrow his eyes at Sorey, who pretended not to see. He had spent the last hour looking over all of Sorey’s social media and naming people out loud to gauge Sorey’s reaction. He had expected a blush or a stutter at at least one of them, but Sorey had done nothing but smirk at Mikleo’s growing frustration.

‘ _Why am I helping him again?’_ He wondered, knowing fully well the answer.

“I can’t tell you who it is,” Sorey said, and there, _there_ was the blush Mikleo had been waiting for. Sorey looked at him from the corner of his eye and covered his face with the book when he found Mikleo already looking at him, keeping it there even when he spoke again. “You have to do this without knowing who they are.”

“But why?” Mikleo asked with a roll of his eyes. “You just want to make things more difficult.”

“Mm.”

Sorey’s foot dangled in the air, his face still hidden underneath the book. Mikleo had tried to pull an answer out of him many many times, but each time he was met with either a wall of silence or a weak excuse. In any other circumstances, Mikleo would have pressed on it, not letting Sorey manhandle him like this. But Mikleo had the slight suspicion Sorey was testing him. It was probably some kind of test to see if he could trust Mikleo on this.

If that truly was it, then Mikleo would make sure he wouldn’t fail.

There had to be a reason for Sorey to decide to keep the name a secret. He wasn’t one to feel ashamed, so that couldn’t be it. Sorey would never feel ashamed of loving someone, no matter who they were.

Then that only left…

“Mikleo?”

When Mikleo looked up, he found Sorey peeking at him from under the book, a bit of a blush still clinging to his cheeks. “Why don’t you leave that alone and come here?” Sorey asked, smiling at him softly. He finally removed the book from his face, closing it and leaving it on the table. “We could watch a movie or something! I’ll let you pick.”

Mikleo hesitated for a second, but he quickly shut the lid of his laptop and joined Sorey on the sofa. He sat by his side once Sorey himself sat up, letting himself fall on the cushions with a sigh.

“Fine. But just for a bit.”

Sorey laughed. “Okay!”

As Mikleo pushed the buttons of the remote, trying to find something decent, Sorey let his head fall on his thigh with a swift movement, curling against Mikleo’s leg without looking at him, face tilted towards the TV screen. Mikleo could see nothing beyond the mop of brown hair, but the tips of his ears seemed to be red still.

“…Thank you.” Sorey muttered, pressing his cheek and nose against Mikleo’s thigh.

Sorey’s words made Mikleo frown. “Whatever for?”

“Just… Thank you.”

Mikleo sighed, not understanding, but that didn't stop him from lifting a hand and resting it softly on Sorey’s head, playing with his hair.

“You’re welcome.”

They settled on a documentary of some kind, the voice of the narrator soothing and enticing, but Mikleo was too busy mulling over who Sorey’s mysterious person could be to pay any attention to it.

 

* * *

 

 

The smell of burning came from Mikleo’s apartment. Sorey’s heart clenched painfully from the fear that thought caused, but he was already running before he could feel the pain. It took him no time to leave his own home and rush to Mikleo’s, just two doors over, slamming his fist against the door in a quick succession.

There was black some coming from the gap of the door.

“Mikleo!” He shouted, knocking harder. “Mikleo!”

Sorey went to turn the doorknob, sighing in relief when he realized it wasn’t hot. The door opened easily, making a cloud of black smoke hit him in the face. He coughed into his elbow, using the fabric of his sweatshirt to breathe, and went inside despite the sting in his eyes.

“Mikleo!” Sorey shouted again, trying to make out anything past the entrance. There didn’t seem to be fire, only thick smoke. “Are you okay!?”

“In the kitchen!”

It was good Sorey knew Mikleo’s apartment like the back of his hand; he didn’t have any problems navigating through the smoke, so he soon found himself in the kitchen and by Mikleo’s side, who was coughing onto a tea towel. Sorey sneaked an arm over his shoulders, holding him against his side. There was more smoke in the kitchen than in the rest of the apartment.

“Mikleo—!”

“O…open the window, Sorey—“

Sorey didn’t hesitate. Reaching beyond Mikleo Sorey yanked open the kitchen window, letting all the smoke out quickly.

It didn’t take long. Soon there was only the smell of smoke and a faint mist in the kitchen, and even Mikleo was managing to breathe easier by then, his eyes only slightly red.

“What happened!?” Sorey asked, taking a glance around the kitchen. It looked like a war zone; it was as if Mikleo had tried to battle every cooking utensil and ingredient in his kitchen — and lost, by the state of his apron. There were egg shells lying around, butter spread over the counter, flour _everywhere,_ even the ceiling… And chocolate. So much chocolate…

There was black smoke coming from the open door of the oven, which Mikleo was trying to dissipate with his teacloth as he spoke. “…I’m baking.”

Sorey frowned, picking up a chocolate covered spoon and giving Mikleo an incredulous look. “But you don’t bake?”

Opening the oven door wider, Mikleo reached inside to grab something, only to yank his hand away a moment later with a yelp and reach for his glove. “I do now.”

“…But you’re so bad at it—!”

Mikleo’s glare made Sorey’s words stick to his palate. There was a tense moment, one in which Sorey truly thought Mikleo was about to throw him the closest thing in his reach… But Mikleo simply grunted and pulled a tray out of the oven, something dark and completely charred, still smoking from inside the tray. Sorey peeked at it, not knowing what it was but not daring to ask, either. He didn’t want another of Mikleo’s deathly glares directed at him.

“They're brownies,” Mikleo replied as if reading Sorey’s mind, leaving the tray on the counter with an exasperated sound. “…Or they were supposed to be.”

“O-kaaay…? But why? Why are you making brownies all of a sudden?”

With a sigh, Mikleo took off his glove and put his hands on the edge of the counter, hanging his head low so his shoulders pushed up. The lines of his back spoke of tiredness and regret, and suddenly everything Sorey wanted to do was to hug him close and rub circles on his back, the way he knew Mikleo liked.

But instead he gripped the spoon he was still holding even tighter, feeling the wood press against the soft skin of his palm.

“They’re apology brownies,” Mikleo said, still with his head down. His short hair hung over the tray of burnt brownies dangerously. “You got confessed to today, didn’t you? After practice?”

“I…” Sorey blinked, surprised. It was true; he had been confessed to that day, by a cute boy in glasses just at the end of soccer practice. The boy had been nice and sweet, but Sorey couldn’t stop thinking about how the movement of pushing his glasses up was cuter when Mikleo did it. “Yeah, I did. But how do you know? I haven’t had time to tell you about it yet, that was a few hours ago…”

“I know because I was the one who pushed the boy to confess to you!” Mikleo interjected, sounding even more frustrated than before. “I thought I had gotten it right, that I had found your person, and I knew you wouldn’t confess to them so I… I told him to do it. To confess to you first.” Mikleo lifted his head up, and for the first time, it occurred to Sorey that maybe the redness in his eyes had nothing to do with the smoke, after all. “He called me crying after you left because you said no, and now his heart is broken because of me.” With another grunt, Mikleo finally stood with his back straight, looking at the brownies as if they had betrayed him. “So I’m making him brownies as an apology.”

“Mikleo… I’ve spoken to Kaito-kun once, maybe twice!” Sorey gave a step towards Mikleo, finally leaving the spoon on the counter and using his hand to poke Mikleo on the cheek. “How could you think he was my person?”

“…It made sense, okay?”

“I… I don’t think this is a good idea, Mikleo…”

“Will you tell me who it is, then?” Mikleo asked, turning around to look at Sorey with his arms crossed over his chest. When Sorey said nothing, Mikleo turned towards the counter once again. “Thought so. It’s fine, he was the first on my list but not the only one. I’ll find your person soon enough, trust me.”

A painful clench of his heart made Sorey wince, but luckily Mikleo was too busy looking at how many ingredients he had left to notice. His friend was working so hard for his sake, Sorey knew. And it made him feel so, so bad…

Moving closer, Sorey let his chest bump against Mikleo’s arm and his head fall until his forehead was pressed against Mikleo’s shoulder, his nose against the small patch of skin between the column of Mikleo’s neck and the hem of his shirt. “You’re too good to me,” Sorey whispered into his skin, feeling Mikleo start underneath him.

“…I just want you to be happy.” Mikleo whispered, hands very still on top of the counter.

“…I’m the happiest when I’m with you,” Sorey replied, and his breath caught in his chest because there it was, his feelings out in the open, hanging in the air with all the weight of the changes they could bring—

But Mikleo barely reacted to them. He simply sighed and turned towards Sorey a controlled smile, one that Sorey only got a glimpse of before Mikleo was turning away and back to the brownies. “Me too, Sorey.”

Sorey tried not to dwell on the coldness Mikleo had left the moment he moved away, but it was hard. “And… Don’t worry about the brownies! It’s your first try, they’ll be better next time…”

“Tenth try.”

“…What?”

“It’s my tenth try.” Mikleo winced, picking up the egg shells and throwing them in the bin at his left. “I’ve been baking for hours. But it’s fine, I’ll… I’ll start over again.”

“Mikleo…”

Sorey moved before Mikleo could stop him. With a set jaw, Sorey reached inside the tray, gingerly breaking a piece from the burnt mass of chocolate and shoving it into his mouth before Mikleo could do much more than gape at him, one hand lifted in mid-air as if to stop him.

The brownie crumbled to ash inside Sorey’s mouth, making him choke.

“It’s… good.” Sorey coughed, fighting against the impulse to spit it out.

“…No, it’s not.” Mikleo deadpanned. “You look like you’re about to cry.”

“The— ehem— the outside is a bit burnt, but the inside is good.” He said, pouring out all the conviction he could feel beyond the ash that crawled down the back of his throat. “If you put icing on top I’m sure Kaito-kun won’t notice.”

Mikleo blinked, as if he hadn’t thought about that before. “You think?”

“Yeah.” Sorey wheezed, and prepared himself for the horrible act of swallowing. The lump in his mouth went down his esophagus the same way Sorey imagine sand would go. “Lots of icing.”

“I… I can do that.” With a nod, Mikleo assessed the situation in his counter, probably listing in his head the things he would need to do the icing. “I’m going to wash up a bit and I’ll get started on the icing. Thank you, Sorey.”

“Anytime.”

The moment Mikleo left the kitchen for the bathroom, Sorey threw himself at the fridge, yanking it open and chugging down the first bottle of milk he could find inside, the cold liquid getting rid of the dryness in his mouth.

It didn’t help much to get rid of the taste, and it did absolutely nothing against the feeling of guilt that had started to bake in his chest.

 

* * *

 

 

“Was it a joke?” The girl in front of Mikleo asked wetly, her hands shaking as she wiped her tears away. “Did you do it to make fun of me?”

“No… No, of course not.” Mikleo replied, feeling his heartbreak. She didn’t deserve this, she really didn’t. “I… I really thought he liked you in that way. I’m very sorry.”

“I just—! Why would you say that to me if it wasn’t the truth? You’re Sorey-san’s best friend. Shouldn’t you know who he likes?”

Mikleo shook his head after a brief pause. “Not even I know. Sorey doesn’t want to tell me, and I know he’ll never confess to them, so I’m trying to find this person on my own.”

“…Ah.” The girl muttered. Her tears had finally stopped, and now she was looking at Mikleo with a different expression on her features. “I see.”

“Um, I know this isn’t much…” Reaching into his bag, Mikleo pulled out a plastic container and promptly handed it to the girl, an embarrassed blush on his cheeks and eyes cast away. “But I did this for you. As an apology.”

The girl took the container in her hands with a sniff, lifting the lid carefully to peek inside. “Oh! Are these your famous brownies, Mikleo-san?”

“I—I wouldn’t say they’re famous!”

“People have been theorizing for months what makes you give certain people your amazing brownies, you know.” The girl explained, smiling sadly. She closed the lid and returned her eyes to Mikleo, pressing the container against her chest. “I guess now I know.”

It had been _months_ since the day Mikleo had almost burnt his apartment down trying to make brownies for the first time. Since then, he had tried to set Sorey up with everyone he could think of that his friend could be interested in, and to all of those people (they were more than Mikleo was willing to admit) he had made brownies as an apology when Sorey sadly turned them down. There had been enough instances for Mikleo to become good at baking them, and word about his brownies had spread over the school, even if no one aside from the people involved knew _why_ Mikleo was giving out brownies from time to time.

No one who asked him for some got them. He only baked out of guilt, for breaking people’s hearts indirectly.

It didn’t help with his guilt, but at least it did bring small smiles to those he had hurt.

“I’m very sorry,” Mikleo repeated, looking back at the girl once again. “Really.”

“I accept your apology, Mikleo-san. And your brownies.”

Mikleo sighed relieved, one hand on his chest. “Thank you…”

“But you really need to speak to Sorey-san about this, Mikleo-san. You can’t let this go on without having him tell you how he feels.”

“I…” Mikleo blinked, surprised at the intensity of her voice. “I don’t think I understand…”

“Good.” The girl replied, and then smiled. “Let that be my punishment for you, Mikleo-san. Something to mull over. But… do think about it, okay? Talk to Sorey-san.”

“I will.” He promised, even though he had no idea what she meant.

“I have to go now. But thank you for your brownies.”

Mikleo nodded, smiling softly. “Thank you for accepting them.”

“See you, then.”

“Mm. See you.”

As the girl walked away, another figured came out from Mikleo’s other side, making him jump. Mikleo waited until the girl was out of earshot to address them, frowning slightly at them and talking in a hushed tone.

“Did you hear us?”

“Yeah…” Sorey rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly, looking away for a second before returning his eyes towards Mikleo. “I think she’s right, Mikleo. We need to talk.”

Mikleo frowned, walking closer to Sorey. “About what? I really didn’t understand what she meant…”

“We need to talk about the person I like.”

Mikleo’s heart started a wild march inside his chest. “Are you… going to tell me who it is?”

“…No,” Sorey replied, and Mikleo felt both relieved and frustrated. “But I’m going to describe them to you and you can draw your own conclusion, okay?”

“Oh—okay.”

Mikleo observed as Sorey prepared himself, inhaling sharply and holding the air in his lungs, just to let it go slowly through his mouth. He lifted his hands to grab Mikleo’s in his and squeeze them softly, holding them in the small space that separated them. Mikleo let him, thinking that Sorey probably needed something to ground himself before speaking.

Sorey started to speak after that, voice sure but low. “The person I like… The person I _love—“_ He said, and Mikleo’s heart did a somersault in his ribcage because this was the first time Sorey was talking about love. “Is incredible. They’re sweet and smart and so, so kind… It’s almost stupid, how kind they are. I could gush poetry about their looks, you know, poetry that would make them laugh at me, probably, but it would all be true, and I would cherish their laugh because it’s my favorite sound in the world.” Sorey squeezed Mikleo’s hands once again, but Mikleo barely felt it. Sorey’s words were swimming in his heart, in his mind, echoing to the point he could hear nothing but Sorey’s voice. “They’re… weird, but that’s alright because I am too. They’re headstrong, stubborn, and so incredibly smart that they make me mad, sometimes.” Sorey lowered his voice to something a bit over a whisper but his words were just as heavy as before. “I trust them with all my heart. If I could spend the rest of my days with them, I would. In any way they let me.”

Mikleo licked his lips, trying to get rid of the dryness in his mouth. His eyes were fixed on their joined hands, on the contrast between their skin tones. “…They sound amazing.”

He didn’t have to look up to feel Sorey’s smile when he said: “They are. That’s why I love them so much.”

The warm day seemed to have turn cold for Mikleo, the sudden breeze making goosebumps appear on his skin. Still, Sorey’s hands holding his own felt scorching, and for the first time, Mikleo wanted to move away from them, just for a little while, only until his heart stopped beating so fast he could feel it in his temple and he had a moment to think. His mind was sluggish, Sorey’s words cutting through every coherent thought Mikleo tried to come up with.

But instead of moving away, Mikleo squeezed Sorey’s hands reassuringly and looked up, gathering all the love he felt for his best friend and pushing it before any other feeling he was going through at that moment. “I get it.”

In front of him Sorey frowned, his hands going slack. “Huh?”

“I think I know who you’re talking about.”

“Y—You do?”

“Mm.” Mikleo stepped away then, letting Sorey’s hands fall back to his sides. He smiled at him truthfully, pushing the strap of his bag further up his shoulder. “Don’t worry, Sorey. Now that I know who it is, everything will be easier.”

Sorey’s mouth hung open for a second as he tried to comprehend what was going on. “Wait, Mikleo, I don’t think you—“

“Just tell them everything you told me once I bring them to you, okay? In the meantime, here. Have this.” He said, and gave Sorey another container full of brownies. He always carried two just in case. Then, Mikleo started to walk backward and away from Sorey, still smiling. “Just give me a moment.”

“Mikleo!”

But Mikleo was already walking away, and if he had turned he would have seen Sorey banging his head softly against the side of the building, muttering under his breath about stupid crushes and stupid brownies.

 

* * *

 

 

“Lailah!? You thought I was in love with _Lailah!?”_

“She fits the description you gave me!”

“No she doesn’t, Mikleo!”

“You said they were beautiful, weird and that you trusted them! That screams Lailah to me!”

“Zaveid also fits that description! Are you going to think I’m in love with Zaveid now?”

“…”

“Mikleo, no.”

“… I’m going to bake more brownies.”

 

* * *

 

 

Sorey closed the door behind both of them, still feeling the excitement rush through his veins. “I know I said this already, but that conference was so. Good.” He said, quickly taking his shoes off and following Mikleo into the apartment. His friend only grunted in agreement; he had stopped meeting Sorey’s words with words of his own after Sorey’s fifth or sixth exclamation of ‘so good’. “I mean, I’ve always known Michael was super smart but… To find a relation between the fall of the Pendragonia monarchy and the rise of the Rolance Empire? Despite being at least two thousand years between the eras? That’s crazy!”

“Yeah. Crazy.”

Sorey was too excited to let Mikleo’s sudden mood drop affect him too much. Still, he was a tad worried; he knew the monarchy of Pendragonia was one of Mikleo’s favorite eras. He should have been ecstatic to get to know more, and from his uncle no less. “Man, I wish I had Michael’s brain. How does he come up with stuff like that?”

Mikleo looked at him from the corner of his eye. They had reached the kitchen, and while Sorey had sat on one of the stools by the table Mikleo had opened the fridge, pulling out a container and a bottle of milk. “Your theories are also pretty good—“

“Did you just compliment my theories, oh my G—“

“When they’re not wrong.”

“Theeeere it is.”

Closing the fridge door with his hip, Mikleo walked to the table to leave the snacks within Sorey’s reach, who grimaced at the sight of the container with —you guessed it—brownies in it.

“Uh, Mikleo? Don’t you have soft-serve? I’m kind of craving it right now.”

Mikleo had turned around to grab glasses for them both, so he had to look over his shoulder to send Sorey a confused look. “You know I haven’t had time to prepare it. But you have brownies, at least.”

“Uh…”

Sorey looked at the container with the brownies the same way someone would a snake. Since Mikleo had started baking for all of his failed attempts at matchmaking, Sorey had had the ‘pleasure’ to eat all the brownies that were left after Mikleo had delivered the latest batch to the person they were made for.

It didn’t matter how Mikleo baked them, or what ingredients he used. They had a bitter taste on Sorey’s tongue from the feelings Mikleo poured onto them.

Someone could almost said Sorey had grown to hate them.

“Anyway,” Sorey continued, leaving the brownies aside and pouring them both a glass of milk. “You have to admit Michael was _amazing_ today. The way he shut down that scholar from Ladylake? Incredible.”

“Mm.”

“Do you think he still remembers that promise he made us when we were kids?” Sorey continued, picking up his glass and holding it to his mouth without actually drinking from it. “About taking us as his apprentices, I mean. If we could spend a summer with him, I bet we—“

“Are you in love with uncle Michael?”

The glass on Sorey’s hand slipped from in between his fingers, tumbling and spilling milk over the table. Sorey managed to grab the glass before it broke but the damage was done: white liquid covered the table and fell down one of the sides, dripping onto the floor by Sorey’s left foot.

Mikleo didn’t move from his position against the counter but Sorey jumped to his feet, quickly grabbing a tablecloth and cleaning as much of it as he could.

“Dammit— Mikleo, what—!?”

“You didn’t answer my question.” Mikleo interjected, arms tight around his chest.

Sorey threw him a disbelieving look, arm stopped halfway through a swipe and milk still dripping to the floor. “ _What!?_ Why would you think that!?”

“Because… Because you’ve been _gushing poetry_ about him for hours and it isn’t the first time! And, to be honest, he pretty much fits the description you gave me weeks ago, and—!”

“Hey, hey.”

Throwing the cloth onto the table, Sorey rushed to Mikleo’s side, putting his hands on his shoulders and squeezing until Mikleo looked up and into his eyes. “Mikleo—“

“I can’t set you up with uncle Michael.” Mikleo muttered, looking away. It seemed to hurt him to admit that, but he did so anyway. “I can’t, Sorey.”

“But… But you adore Michael…”

“That’s exactly why!” Mikleo’s hands moved up, to cling at Sorey’s wrists. The look he sent Sorey was almost imploring and so, so out of character for him that Sorey felt his heart fall to the pit of his stomach. “I can’t have uncle Michael to be… to be the one to…”

With a single movement and not much thought, Sorey pulled Mikleo into his arms, holding him close against his chest and rubbing his back with soothing circles. It took a moment, but soon Mikleo was returning the gesture, his hands holding tight the back of Sorey’s shirt.

“I am not in love with uncle Michael.” Sorey promised, holding him tighter for a second before relaxing his arms, but not moving away. “He’s not my person, Mikleo.”

There was a long moment of silence, followed by a tightening of Mikleo’s hands on his back. But then Mikleo nodded against his shoulder, relaxing gradually. Sorey hadn’t realized Mikleo had been so tense until that moment.

“Okay,” Mikleo whispered. “Okay.”

“Come on, you know you’re my favorite Rulay!” Sorey said, trying to lighten up the mood, and his reward was a snort and a soft shove, not strong enough to break the hug.

Sorey wanted to dwell on Mikleo’s behavior, to try and find a meaning behind it. He had never seen Mikleo like that before, and a part of him wanted to bring it up again to talk about his friend’s reaction.

But Mikleo had relaxed now, his arms almost slack around Sorey, and Sorey thought it would be a real shame if Mikleo were to break the hug in that moment because Sorey pissed him off.

So he did the only sane thing he could do in that moment.

He confessed.

“I love you, Mikleo.” He whispered, right into Mikleo’s ear, tightening his hold on him so as not to give way to any equivocations.

Mikleo tensed but, to Sorey’s amazement, he didn’t move away. Instead he clung tighter to Sorey’s shirt, hiding his face onto his shoulder and letting his fringe fall in a way that, were Sorey to pull back, he wouldn’t be able to see his face.

It could have been Sorey’s imagination, but Mikleo seemed to tremble, for a short second.

“…I love you too, Sorey.” Mikleo whispered back, and Sorey’s heart fell dead for the second time that evening.

‘ _Don’t say it like that.’_ Sorey begged without opening his mouth. ‘ _Don’t say it like we both mean different things. Please, Mikleo, listen to what I’m saying…’_

But Mikleo chose that moment to move away, rushing to grab paper towels and wipe the mess Sorey had made earlier. “We have to clean this up before it dries. Sorey, could you heat the brownies up? They’ll taste better that way.”

Watching Mikleo’s back regretfully, Sorey went to pick up the container, moved the brownies to a tray with a spatula, and pushed them in the oven without too much care.

And if he set the oven too high, well… Mikleo’s wrath was better than eating another stupid brownie.

 

* * *

 

 

When the last of his classmates finally left the room, Mikleo dropped his head on his desk with a sigh.

There were no brownie deliveries that day. For a whole month, after the thing with Sorey in the kitchen, following uncle Michael’s conference, Mikleo had doubled his efforts to find Sorey’s person, which meant doubling the baking. It wasn’t a stretch to say that Mikleo was a Brownie Master by now. He might have chosen brownies because they were the easiest thing to bake at first, but now he had made his own recipes so complex that not many people would manage to make them as good as Mikleo’s.

But because he had worked so hard during the last month, he had ended up injuring himself. Sorey’s words not his, though. Mikleo didn’t think a sprained wrist from baking counted as ‘injury’.

Sorey… Truth be told, he had been acting even stranger than Mikleo during the last month. He kept changing the topic when Mikleo talked about his matchmaking progress, pressed himself closer to Mikleo instead of replying when Mikleo asked him for another clue about his person. Honestly, Sorey was making Mikleo’s job harder than it already was, so Mikleo didn’t feel _too bad_ at taking a week to rest his wrist.

Sorey should be pushing Mikleo to find his person, not the other way around.

After all, Sorey probably couldn’t wait to be with them, right?

“What are you daydreaming about?”

The sudden voice made Mikleo jump in his chair, quickly looking up and pushing his glasses closer to his face to see Sorey leaning over him, a smirk on his lips and ever-present headphones around his neck. Mikleo huffed at him, angry at having been caught unaware.

“I wasn’t daydreaming.”

“Uh-huh.” Sorey muttered, and let himself fall on the chair in front of Mikleo’s, Mikleo’s desk the only thing separating them. “You aren’t eating lunch either. Why?”

Mikleo shrugged, leaving some space for Sorey to lean on his desk too. “I’m not hungry.”

“Not even for dessert?”

“What are you—?”

Before Mikleo could finish, Sorey pulled a white box from behind his back, gingerly putting it on Mikleo’s desk and looking at him with an expectant look on his face.

The logo on the front of the box was from their favorite bakery, not far from their home.

“What is this?”

“Just open it!”

Mikleo did so. Inside the box there was a beautiful slice of cake, golden and white from all the cream on it and adorned with strawberries on top. Mikleo’s mouth watered the moment he took the cake in, the aroma emanating from it only making him even hungrier.

But the questions in his head stopped him before he could even think of tasting it, making his eyes move from the cake to Sorey instead. “What’s this?”

Sorey looked very proud when he said. “Strawberry lemon shortcake!”

“…Nice. And why did you bring it here today?”

A soft blush covered Sorey’s cheeks before he replied, almost as sweet as the look of the cake before Mikleo. “Because it was the farthest thing from brownies they had in the store.” Sorey said.

“…Okay, I’m lost now.” Mikleo shook his head.

Before he could say anything else, Sorey extended an arm and showed him two small plastic forks, smiling behind them a beatific smile that Mikleo immediately distrusted. “Let’s eat it, okay? And meanwhile I… I can explain.”

Mikleo didn’t spend too much time thinking about it. He pulled one of the forks from Sorey’s hand and started to cut a tiny piece of shortcake for himself with it. “Alright, then.”

“Hm, yeah, so…” Sorey started eloquently, his eyes on the cake. He cut a piece for himself starting from where Mikleo had gotten his, quickly putting it in his mouth and speaking through it. “I’ve been thinking—“

Mikleo snorted. “Good for you.”

He was kind of expecting the kick to his shin under the table, but that didn’t mean he didn’t return it a moment later.

“Stop that, I’m trying to have a meaningful conversation here!”

“If this turns out to be about the Big Draught of Soft-Serve you’ve been talking about for months, I swear to god—“

“It’s not, I promise.” Sorey shook his head, expression suddenly serious. “It’s about my person.”

Mikleo’s cheerful mood suddenly plummeted to the ground. Swallowing a piece of cake —sweet and sour at the same time; it seemed to have extra lemon peel, this one — he concentrated on picking up another piece, mainly to have something to do with his hands. “Okay.”

“So… I've been thinking. And Mikleo, I think this has gone too far. Too many people involved, too many… Too many brownies! This has reached the crazy level, and… It’s on me to stop it.”

Mikleo observed as Sorey used the time to pick up some more cake to gather his thoughts. And meanwhile Mikleo’s own stomach closed, threatening to churn violently if Mikleo so much as made it digest a strawberry.

He set the fork down by the cardboard under the cake, looking at Sorey from over the rim of his glasses. “You don’t want me to help you, anymore.”

“Yes! I mean, no! I mean—“ Sorey rubbed the back of his neck, leaning back just the tiniest bit. “I just have to stop this. You’re even hurt because of it, Mikleo!”

Mikleo lifted his sprained wrist, letting the white bandage underneath his uniform sleeve show. “This is nothing, Sorey—“

“It’s enough for me.” Sorey replied, and reached forward to grab Mikleo’s wrist softly and pull it back down, over the desk. But instead of moving his hand away, Sorey left it there, over the bandages, his thumb swiping over them with care. His eyes, when they met Mikleo’s, were the greenest Mikleo had ever seen them. “Listen, Mikleo. The reason why I never dared to confess to my person is because the relationship I have with them right now is the most important thing I have. I didn’t want to risk things going wrong just because I’m in love with them. So I kept my feelings to myself. I guess you could say I’m very selfish.

“But now things have gone so much worse than if I had just confessed. People I don’t even know have been hurt because I didn’t dare to change things, and you—“ His thumb pressed a bit tighter against the bandages, but never enough to hurt. “This is what I never, ever wanted to happen. And it happened anyway. So I’m going to make things right and I’m going to confess to them.”

“That’s…” Mikleo licked his own lips, feeling his hand tremble against Sorey’s arm, his breath catching in his chest. “I’m sure you’ll be okay. Your person would be an idiot if they turned you down, and I know you would never fall in love with an idiot.”

Just like that, Sorey seemed to relax in front of him, smiling his trademark smile that shone brighter than the sun. He leaned forward once again, coming so close to Mikleo that Mikleo could see the tiny specks of gold in his eyes, the way his short eyelashes seemed to want to curl towards his cheeks, trying to reach the soft skin.

Mikleo’s heart gave up for good at the sight.

“I’m glad you think that.” Sorey said, and his hand slid down to press his palm against Mikleo’s, damp skin against cold, trembling skin. “Because you’re my person, Mikleo.”

The way the words were delivered, more than the words themselves, sent a shiver down Mikleo’s spine. There was so much love in them, so much feeling, so much hope… But it couldn’t be, could it? Surely Mikleo had heard wrong—

“The description I gave you was pretty good, don’t you think?” Sorey went on, probably sensing Mikleo’s growing distress. He never once lost his smile, even when Mikleo looked down and away, “Beautiful. Kind. Sweet. Very stubborn.”

Mikleo’s eyes snapped back at him. “I’m not stubborn!”

Sorey laughed, holding Mikleo’s hand tighter. “Mikleo, I told you so many times I loved you over the past few months, in so many different ways… And still you thought there was someone out there for me, other than you.”

“…Shut up.” Mikleo replied, looking away once again, but that only made Sorey chuckle. Then Mikleo felt Sorey’s foot hit his softly under the table, asking for his attention back. Mikleo gave it to him, reluctantly but with his heart about to burst out of his chest.

“You know, there were times when I thought you just… weren’t interested. Which is fine, really! I just want to stay by your side, in any way you let me.” Sorey continued, still smiling, always smiling. “But… The way you told me you loved me in the kitchen made me think… It made me think that maybe you just didn’t see it. That maybe you didn’t hear what I was trying to say, despite understanding the words.

“So, let me say this one more time. Mikleo, I love you, I’m in love with you, and despite what your answer may be, I want to continue being in your life.” Sorey finally leaned back, rubbing at the side of his neck with his free hand. “So yeah. That’s… That’s what I wanted to tell you today.”

Mikleo leaned back too, resting his back against his chair gaze lost. Still, he kept his hand on Sorey’s, letting its warmth and weight ground him as he thought. Sorey’s words and voice were swimming in his heart, arising feelings that Mikleo had fought very hard to push down.

It felt nice, to finally let them free.

“Do you mean to tell me…” Mikleo started, focusing his eyes on a slightly nervous looking Sorey. “That when you said I could help you get together with your person you actually meant… Helping you get together with myself?”

“I… Pretty much, yeah, haha.”

“Sorey!”

“I’m sorry!” Sorey exclaimed, squeezing Mikleo’s hand. “I thought you’d catch on at some point but… Like I said, you’re stubborn.”

Mikleo glared at him, kicking him under the table. “I am not!”

Sorey laughed once again. He seemed more relaxed now, but there was still a faint tightness around the corners of his mouth, one that had Mikleo start to rub circles on the back of Sorey’s hand with his thumb. Sorey looked at him with tender eyes and a tender smile, returning the caress with his own fingers.

“I can’t believe this.” Mikleo shook his head. “I can’t believe I didn’t realize it was me, I’m such an idiot.”

“…I thought we had established already that I would never fall in love with an idiot.”

“…Shut up.”

“More so… I think you did realize.” Sorey admitted. “You just didn’t dare to believe it.”

“Mm.”

A beat of silence passed over them as Mikleo looked back at the past few months.

He truly had been an idiot, despite what Sorey had just said.

“You know, no pressure or anything—“ Sorey said, keeping his eyes on their joined hands. “But I wouldn't mind having a reply…”

A bubble of his own laughter threatened to choke Mikleo, his heart still beating so fast it seemed to be trying to pull out of his chest. “Here is my answer, you big doofus.”

Before Sorey could say a word, Mikleo raised from his chair, hand still on Sorey’s, and leaned over the desk to leave a gentle kiss on Sorey’s mouth.

His cheeks were on fire, Mikleo could feel them scorching, tingling alongside his lips from the contact against Sorey’s own. Sorey wasn’t any better either; his cheeks had flared up, his eyes so shiny he looked almost feverish— But his smile was beautiful, and it stole the air right out of Mikleo’s lungs.

“Mm, could you repeat that?” Sorey said with a cheeky smile, once he managed to find his voice again. “I didn’t quite catch it…”

Mikleo rolled his eyes, but there wasn’t a chance he was going to refuse that. He pressed his lips against Sorey’s eagerly, hoping this wasn’t a dream, hoping that—if it was—he would never have to wake up. And Sorey returned the kiss fiercely, using his free hand to keep Mikleo close, tilting his head back to allow the kiss to continue until they both were out of breath and slightly dizzy.

Sorey even kept his hand on Mikleo’s cheek once Mikleo moved a bit away, enough to look at Sorey in the eyes.

“You taste like lemon and strawberry.” Sorey said, eyes a bit dazed.

“It’s from your cake, idiot.”

Another laugh escaped from Sorey’s mouth, and Mikleo had half a thought of stealing it with his own mouth before it could disappear. “I’m just glad it’s not chocolate.”

“What is wrong with you and chocolate all of a sudden?”

“All of a sudden—! I just can’t take any more brownies, Mikleo!”

Mikleo gasped, yanking his hand away from Sorey’s. “You did not just say that.”

“Come on, don’t get maaad~! I just miss soft-serve, that’s all! You’ve done nothing but brownies for months…”

“And you’re not getting it any time soon.” Mikleo dropped, crossing his arms over his chest. “I still have at least three batches in my fridge, and I’m not going to make anything until they’re gone.”

“What!” Sorey looked genuinely distressed at that, reaching for Mikleo’s arms and trying to uncross them. “Mikleo, no!”

“Mikleo, yes.” He said, but still let one of Sorey’s hands sneak around and grab his own, holding onto it tight. “But after that…” He continued, and his cheeks went a deep red when he dared to leave a small butterfly kiss on the heel of Sorey’s palm. “It looks like I won’t have to make any more brownies, so I’ll make anything you want.”

Sorey perked up, looking at Mikleo with so much love in his eyes that Mikleo didn’t understand how he hadn’t seen it before. “Really?”

“Really.”

“I love you, Mikleo.”

Mikleo smiled and, for the first time, he let himself believe Sorey’s words. “I love you too.”

This time, the meaning behind the words was clear for both of them.

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> You can find me on [Twitter](https://twitter.com/strikemika) if you want some more sormik!
> 
> And you kind find nami [HERE](https://twitter.com/defragmentise) if you want to know more about this and other AUs!


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